


Family Bonds

by kurokun2338



Series: The Becoming Trilogy [3]
Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: The Next Generation
Genre: Action/Adventure, Adventure & Romance, Android Emotions, Androids, Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst with a Happy Ending, Brotherly Love, Declarations Of Love, Developing Android Emotions, Emotional Baggage, Emotional Data (Star Trek), Emotional Hurt, Emotional Manipulation, Falling In Love, Family, First Kiss, First Love, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Friendship/Love, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Kidnapped Geordi, Love Confessions, M/M, Romantic Fluff, Romantic Friendship, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, android family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-03
Updated: 2020-08-29
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:15:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 20,399
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25690417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kurokun2338/pseuds/kurokun2338
Summary: A visit to the Earth's Daystrom Institute reveals Bruce Maddox's latest and most surprising achievement – a new sentient android. Which triggers the questions how real artificial feelings are and if they can or should be repaired. When Geordi is kidnapped, Data must decide which is more worth fighting for: family or love.
Relationships: Data & Bruce Maddox, Data & Geordi La Forge, Data & Lore (Star Trek), Data/Geordi La Forge, Geordi La Forge & Lore, Geordi La Forge/Lore
Series: The Becoming Trilogy [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1731559
Comments: 20
Kudos: 33





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to the third and final episode of my "The Becoming Trilogy". As I wrote in episode 2 I had a lot of trouble writing this and it took forever to finish. At the end of chapter 4 you will see the cause. I had a thousand ideas but none of them were ever good enough for one particular character – it almost drove me nuts. In the end it felt like seducing someone into acting their part but to their conditions. At least it was worth it, I really like this story. I will update twice a week, no particular day. I hope you'll have fun on this last (for now) adventure.

_Second Officer’s Personal Log Lieutenant Commander Data, Stardate 48287.3_

_The Enterprise returned to Earth, the majority of the crew was allowed to beam or fly to the surface for shore leave. Commander Bruce Maddox had invited me and Geordi to visit him at the Daystrom Institute in the Okinawa outpost four months, two days, eight hours, 43 minutes and three seconds ago. He asked us to take a shuttle instead of beaming._

Data and Geordi materialized in an entrance portal in the forecourt of the Daystrom Institute. Data had last been here for a conference a few months ago, but for Geordi it was the first time. So, he looked around with interest.

"Doesn’t look particularly protected. Despite the sensitive research. And guests." They walked to the main entrance.

"The only way into the buildings is through the portals and special locks. Weapons are prohibited and will be detected by sensors when you beam in. The hangar is secured, as we have seen, and the only way from the hangar to the site is through the portals or locks."

They entered a high, spacious entrance hall almost completely framed by glass and flooded with light. Through the backside the sea could be seen in the distance.

"Data, Geordi!" Both turned to the call. Bruce Maddox came towards them with long strides. There was no evidence of his disrespectful and, to Data, almost destructive behavior when he tried to transfer him off the Enterprise for testing purposes. They had become pen pals since then. Data would not go so far as to say they were friends, but it had become a respectful relationship of scientific exchange.

"I’m really glad you could make it, Data." Bruce shook his hand vigorously. "And, Geordi, I’m glad you’re here, too. Besides you two, there’s no one in the galaxy who can truly appreciate the results of our research. Come."

He pushed Data and Geordi along at a brisk pace, who hadn’t yet uttered a word beyond a _hello._

"We moved to another floor a few months ago, but it’s still a bit of a mess. I hope you can overlook it. The larger rooms were occupied by my staff just as quickly as the smaller ones. And still not everything has been transported down here."

Bruce led them through a mirrored glass door on the first floor directly opposite the stairs.

"Wow, that’s what I call a laboratory." Geordi adjusted his visor, as he sometimes did without the need for it.

They were standing in a 216 square meter sized room equipped with about thirty workstations, but Data couldn’t make it out exactly, as not everything had been set up yet. There were still some storage boxes standing around that should have been unpacked already, tools and instruments that should have been sorted away, and people who probably wanted to be back at work faster than they wanted to tidy up. Some looked up as the newcomers entered their realm.

"As I was saying," Bruce raised his hands apologetically, "we’re still halfway through the move. Sometime we’ll get the mess under control. Freya!" He beckoned a colleague with brown, shoulder-length curls. "Doctor Freya Madsen is my right-hand person in our current research. Freya, may I introduce our guests Lieutenant Commander Data and Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge."

"Data." She said his name downright reverently, her soft voice barely audible. Her eyes looked heavy when she shook his hand. "It’s a great pleasure to meet you." Then she turned to Geordi. "Mr. La Forge-"

"You can call me Geordi," Geordi interrupted her immediately, gave her his typical smile and held out his hand to her.

"Geordi." Even for him, she had no real smile that reached her eyes. "You are Data’s personal engineer, if I understand correctly?"

"Above all, we’re close friends," Geordi corrected. "But I also support Data as an engineer."

Data increasingly felt the glances of individual employees who looked up from their work and showed signs of recognition at his sight.

Freya looked at Geordi for a long time before she spoke again, still holding his hand. "You know, Geordi, I envy you. You’ve had the opportunity to observe Data every day for over seven years, to study how he works, really understand him-"

"Freya, please," Bruce interrupted with a laugh, but also a warning look. "Geordi and Data are our guests."

Data moved the rest of the conversation completely into his subconscious. One employee after the other not only looked up briefly, but interrupted their work and stared at him. He heard his name whispered throughout the lab. In fact, he was used to the sight of him attracting attention. But here, in front of these scientists whose aim was to create a living being like him, it was different.

A touch on his shoulder made him wince. Geordi had turned to him, his hand on the delicate new bioplast. "What’s wrong, Data?" he whispered.

Data shrugged his head insecurely and let his gaze wander. "Being the center of attention in this way triggers an unpleasant feeling that I cannot clearly define. I feel ... uncomfortable."

Geordi nodded. "Bruce, is there someplace where we can talk in private?"

Bruce looked at Geordi, then Data. "I’m sorry, I didn’t realize-"

"Go into the conference room," Freya said. "I’ll join you in a moment."

Bruce nodded and led them to the other end of the room. Data thought he could feel the glances following him, although it was impossible for him to physically feel glances. Only when the doors to a small adjoining room closed behind him could he relax again and this unpleasant feeling subsided.

Bruce turned to him. "Data, I didn’t know you would mind the attention. My colleagues are just curious and intrigued. I’m truly sorry."

"It is not your fault, Bruce. I did not realize it could happen. This is a new situation for me, too."

Bruce now looked at him with big eyes. "What situation? Did you integrate the emotion chip-"

"The chip is damaged," Geordi interrupted. "And no longer necessary."

Bruce seemed to hold his breath for a moment and his eyes became even bigger. "An evolution? After so many years?" Then he laughed. "So I really was right. Great!"

Data tilted his head. "Could you kindly explain your discovery to us?"

Bruce now grinned, put a hand on Data and Geordi’s shoulder and spoke in an almost conspiratorial manner. "I understand how emotions work in a Soong-type. And I am capable of replicating that emotional base without provoking a cascade failure. But that’s not all. I think I could even transfer the emotional impulses from one Soong-type to another."

Data was seldom speechless, but Bruce had made him with these revelations. It took him 4.89 seconds to process the information, sort through his questions and finally ask the one he calculated was the most important.

"Do you think you could repair a defective emotional center?"

Judging by the irritated expression on Bruce’s face, this was not the reaction he had expected. He let them both go and then looked at Geordi.

"Lore," Geordi said, then turned to Data. "This doesn’t make sense, Data. Doctor Soong designed you and Lore to be exactly alike. Your basic programming is identical. You both have an ethics subroutine. Lore’s problems have nothing to do with his programming, but with his development, experiences and choices."

"I must at least try to help him if there is a chance, Geordi. He is my brother. The only one like me."

"Emotionally, he wasn’t like you, that’s what I’ve been talking-" But Data wouldn’t let him finish and turned to the cyberneticist.

"Bruce, if it is possible to repair the malfunctioning of my brother’s emotional center, I ask you to try."

Bruce, taken by surprise, looked from one to the other and seemed even more irritated than before. Then a smile spread across his face and he looked at Data in astonishment. "You’ve become very human, Data. You wouldn’t have said that before. However," he became serious again and with a gesture showed them to the table where all three sat down. "It’s not quite that simple. As you know from personal experience, Doctor Soong didn't put all his cards on the table. When he told you that he wanted to use the chip to give you your basic emotions, he should have said he wanted to give you the key to your basic emotions."

Data frowned. "Are you implying that my father had already incorporated my emotions into me?"

"Correct, there’s no other way."

"Ha!" Geordi made a triumphant call. "That’s what I’ve been talking about for years."

"And I found the scientific evidence to back up your gut feeling, Geordi." Bruce turned to Data again. "You’re constructed on a human basis, Data, you are supposed to be sentient like a human. Logic and emotion are not separable in a human, they are evolutionarily linked. The assumption that the limbic and cortical systems are separable in logic and emotion was disproved centuries ago. Accordingly, it makes no sense that Doctor Soong would give you emotions that can be switched on and off at will. Such emotions would not work in your highly complex system, they would probably never be accepted or cause a cascade failure. Once I understood that and got an idea of what to look for, it wasn’t so complicated anymore. Your own daughter is the best proof. After all, you weren’t explicitly looking to create an emotional center in her. And yet she could feel."

"I still do not understand." Data felt the tension within himself and all parallel processes were paused. "How could I have emotions all my life and not knowing it?"

Bruce now smiled apologetically. "It will be difficult to prove my theory on this now that you are feeling your emotions. I believe Doctor Soong has programmed a concealment mechanism. It must have made you unaware of the emotions, even though they were always there. However, I suspect that the mechanism’s effectiveness has weakened in recent years. You have developed intensively and the mechanism was certainly not designed to conceal such complex and strong emotions for such a long time."

Data blinked. Several times. "How is it possible that Geordi noticed the incipient stages of emotion but I did not?"

Bruce laughed. "I’m not surprised. You have lived in the firm belief that you had no emotions. And Doctor Soong himself spoke of an emotion chip, as if it contained the basics. In fact, it should be nothing more than a kind of override for the concealment or a trigger to deactivate the programming. Perhaps in combination with an emotion enhancer."

Data thought of the entity’s young he had carried inside him several months ago. "I had an emotion enhancer in me. Albeit involuntarily."

Bruce sat up interestedly. "You still haven’t told me what actually had happened, that your emotions showed up so suddenly."

Data told him about the entity, but left out everything that had to do with Geordi. If Bruce noticed the holes in the story, and Data assumed that he did, he didn’t ask.

"Fascinating," he finally said, and looked at him almost as reverently as Freya had before. "And you can actually locate your emotional center?"

"I can locate the area that is forming. Since it developed as the emotions arose, we assumed it must be my emotional center."

"I see." Bruce nodded. "The new evaluations of your emotions will obviously affect your positronic matrix. New neural pathways will have to develop, this is what you’ll see. I’d like to keep you here for a month and give you a thorough examination."

"I am-"

"-objecting, I know." Bruce sighed.

From a scientific point of view, Data could understand him, but since he was able to feel his emotions, he had been even more opposed to tests than before. Unless Geordi or Doctor Crusher performed them.

"What about Lore? Could you repair his emotions?"

Bruce rubbed his forehead as if he had to think about how to choose his next words. "The problem is this: Here at the Institute we work on the basis of Soong, but with a completely different technique. He had started from scratch and knew every tiny circuit and program in your and Lore’s systems. He had designed your positronic brain from the ground up. We don’t do that. We use positronic cloning. To be honest, I’m not sure we’ll ever get to the point of completely redesigning a matrix as complex as yours, sentient and stable.

I know in theory what Doctor Soong did to you and Lore to make you feel. If Lore had no emotional basis, I could probably implant a new one. But as I explained earlier, once integrated, emotion is inseparable from the positronic brain. And, for me, not repairable. This is true for any android, even the ones we create. Once emotion is out of control, there is nothing I can do. In my opinion, it is a miracle Lore never suffered a cascade failure. Especially after he used your emotion chip. The intensity of the emotions must have been almost unbearable."

Disappointment washed over Data’s system and suffocated the small glimmer of hope that had emerged in the last few minutes. If not even Lore could be repaired, Lal couldn’t be considered at all. Though Data had come to terms with the thought that Lal had died, he had always kept hope that one day he might find a way to repair her.

The doors to the conference room opened and all three looked over. Data understood immediately what he saw. He still couldn’t believe it.

Freya entered, at her side a young woman of perhaps 20 years of age, 167 centimeters tall and of sturdy stature. Her brown hair was short and curly, her eyes the same yellow-gold as Data’s. Her skin shone similarly to his bioplast, but in a pale bronze tone, which seemed more human than his white-gold tone.

Freya smiled at the young woman, put her hands on her shoulders and pushed her in their direction. "This is Aasha. Our miracle child." The scientist looked at her affectionately.

Aasha’s eyes were fixed on Data, big and without blinking. "Data." She stepped forward, he stood up automatically and she took his hands. Although she was a good fifteen centimeters shorter than him, the gesture unsettled him. Then she smiled. A real smile, not just an adapted one, just like humans would demonstrate. And more and more often, he would himself. "I’m so happy you’re here, Uncle."


	2. Chapter 2

"She seems so human." Geordi observed Aasha and Data talking animatedly across the table. "But not in the way Lore was. It is as if she had Lore’s humanity and Data’s essence."

"That’s actually quite close to the truth," Bruce said. "She is a positronic clone. We only have Lore’s material, and we weren’t entirely comfortable constructing our first sentient android on his base. But a clone is not a second version of the parent android. It is as if they share the same genetic material, just as Data’s daughter Lal shares the same positronic material as Data."

Geordi nodded. "He gave you Lal’s body after she died."

"Yes, but we couldn’t create a clone on her base, her positronic matrix is too damaged," Bruce said. "Perhaps in a few years, it will be possible."

"We could still learn a lot." Freya looked at Aasha, and the loving smile was back that she seemed to have only for the young android. "I think the children are similar. Even though the fathers are so different."

"And she felt her emotions from the beginning?" Geordi asked further. "Like Lore?"

Bruce nodded. "Yes, but she also had some memories of Data. Voluntarily," Bruce added immediately, when Geordi was already taking a breath in horror. "And carefully selected by himself."

"We had asked for memories that were particularly important to Data," Freya explained. "Like the encounters with his family, moments that were important to him with his friends and key moments in his development. Aasha should see from an android’s perspective that humanity is not contemptible, as Lore believed."

"Then Data knew you were working on a ... descendant of Lore?" Geordi asked.

"He knew that we wanted to create an android with a new technology," Bruce corrected. "And that we wanted to give this android positive memories. It is a different technique from the one Data used to create Lal. But our method was made possible by his."

"But it was also completely unpredictable for us how Aasha would develop," Freya said. "Whether she would have Lore’s character or be a completely different person."

"Lore’s character evolved naturally into this destructive direction," Geordi said. "Perhaps we can see through Aasha what he could have become." 

Geordi shuddered at the thought of how Lore had corrupted Data with a manipulated emotion chip and thus made Data carry out experiments on Geordi’s brain. Positronic nerve pathways were deadly in an organic body, no tests were needed for that realization. The fact that Lore even carried them out on his Borg followers had shown how insane he had become.

"Bruce! Freya!" Geordi looked up as Aasha came towards them. "May I go to the Enterprise? Today? Data has already agreed. They’re even here with a shuttle."

Geordi could not wipe that smile off his face. The girl reminded him of his big sister when she was about sixteen. Even though Aasha looked older, she was only a few months old and still almost a child.

"Aasha needs different company than us," Bruce said in response to Freya’s worried face. "I asked Data and Geordi to take a shuttle because Aasha doesn’t like beaming."

Freya frowned and looked from one to the other. "I don’t like the idea of her leaving the Institute."

"I will watch over Aasha as if she were my own daughter." Data’s serious tone brought a smile to Bruce’s face.

"We know," he said. "Just go."

Freya seemed even more worried, but nodded as well. Aasha beamed, folded her hands in front of her chest and indicated a small bow. "Thank you very much! Have you brought everyday clothes?" She turned to Data, who shook his head. "You’re on shore leave and wearing your uniforms? Like this, everyone thinks you’re on duty."

"I do not own everyday clothes," said Data.

"Come along." Aasha took Data by the hand. "My current interests include fashion. Based on your height, build and the information I’ve stored about your personality, I should be able to replicate something that suits you. Can we go to Enterprise today? I can’t wait to see what a ship this big looks like inside. And maybe you could show me the botany department? I’m also interested in plant cultivation and I’ve conducted some cross-breeding experiments. But the results leave much to be desired and here we do not have a botany department. I could imagine that the chosen plants do not fit together, but I see no reason for this on my current knowledge base." And with that, she pulled Data out the door.

Geordi laughed softly. "If there is such a thing as heredity among androids, Aasha has definitely inherited Data’s speech stream."

Bruce laughed but Freya still looked nervous. "I’m going back to work, Bruce," she said and got up. "If you need me, I’ll be in the positronics lab." With a nod from Bruce she left the conference room.

"She’s working on her own positronic matrix," Bruce explained. "Up in the old lab. Down here, we’re working on androids like Aasha, on improving cloning and a faster matrix stabilization. Since I developed positronic cloning, that’s all I’ve been working on myself. But Freya wants to develop something of her own, like Doctor Soong did. I’m afraid though it’ll take more ingenious minds than ours to pull off that feat again."

In his mind, Geordi agreed with him. Perhaps it would be several centuries before such a development would be made again.

"I see it’s lunchtime. How do you feel about food, Geordi? I can recommend our replicators. After that, Data and Aasha should be finished with their fashion digression."

Surprisingly for Geordi, it didn’t take long for Data to return. They hadn’t even finished eating. His visor gave him a limited view of Data’s new clothes. He recognized a wrapped, wide shirt tied at the waist and simple tight trousers. He interpreted the colors as maroon and rusty orange. 

"Aasha has a good feeling for what suits someone," Geordi greeted his friend half chewing.

"I can confirm this, she also replicated everyday clothes for you." And with that, Data held a pile of dark blue and white clothes in front of him. "I chose the colors. Aasha does not know as much about you as she does about me. I hope they suit your taste."

A little puzzled Geordi took the new clothes, which felt so much softer and finer than his uniform. "Thank you. If this keeps up, there’s really going to be a holiday feeling."

Data frowned and sat down at the table with them. Geordi put the clothes on a chair beside him.

"Data." Bruce put his cutlery on the plate in front of him. "I have a request. Please do not reject it outright, but first hear what it is." Data nodded, although he had already opened his mouth to the exact rejection Bruce was expecting. "I mentioned earlier that I’m able to transfer energy signatures of emotions from one Soong - type to another."

"Just for my understanding," Geordi interrupted. "Are you saying you can transfer what someone feels to another person?"

"Among Soong-type androids, yes."

"That’s pretty whacky," Geordi said dryly. He didn’t like the idea at all. It was intimate enough that he could see Data’s emotional tendencies. "Is the person to whom the feelings are transferred feeling exactly what is being transferred? Or is it more a knowledge of the feelings?"

"If it works the way I think it does, the recipient is aware that it is not their feelings. But the feelings should feel exactly the same as they do to the transmitter."

Geordi shivered. Although he wished he could show Data something similar to what he showed him through his positronic emission. But not this specific. 

"What exactly is the benefit of this exchange?" Data asked. 

"I hope for a learning and stabilizing effect so that our next Android can develop faster and more stable with Aasha’s help. We almost lost her when her emotions kicked in."

"But isn’t it healthier for an individual to develop naturally after birth?" asked Geordi, who found the conversation increasingly uncomfortable. "A feeling is not wrong just because it’s different from what another one feels. According to that, many people would be flawed. We feel very differently depending on what we are talking about. And Doctor Soong’s goal was to create an android that was as human-like as possible. Not a species where every being is and feels the same."

"Geordi’s objection is valid," Data agreed and Bruce nodded.

"I understand your concerns, but parents also give their children direction and teach them right from wrong."

"I have an ethics subroutine for that," Data interjected.

"Lore had it too, and it didn’t work out very well for him" Bruce sighed and massaged his forehead before continuing. "Look, I don’t want to create a uniform species, believe me. But we as humans can only replace the parent part for an android to a limited extent. It would be better for an android to learn from an android, especially how to handle emotions. The most direct way is to share feelings with one another. From human to android it is not possible, otherwise I would try it myself. Data, you’re the only one I could test with whether my approach works. I would connect you and Aasha wirelessly through an interface. You would be capable of severing that connection at any time. Think about it. You’d be a great help to me in my research."

"How will a wireless connection work?" Geordi wanted to know, who , beside Data himself, knew the ins and outs of Data’s workings as intimately as probably only Bruce did .

Bruce smiled knowingly. "I found a loophole, very well hidden in Lore’s homing device, which I also installed in Aasha. I assume, Data, that you also have this loophole. I strongly suggest you close it, whether you agree to the test or not. I will gladly assist you in the process."

Geordi and Data’s mouths hung open. Bruce had obviously known about this loophole for a long time, so when exactly had he wanted to tell them about it if it wasn’t for his test?

The door to the conference room opened and Aasha came in. She had changed and was now wearing a short bib dress that made her look even younger.

"Sorry I took so long." She beamed at Data and Geordi. "I brought you something." She reached into the pocket of her dress. "I saw your bracelets. And that they have no decoration."

"They are not trinkets, Aasha," said Data. "They are positronic communicators. A birthday present."

Aasha tilted her head, as she had probably copied from Data, and looked questioningly from him to Geordi. 

"I noticed the bracelets too," Bruce said. "Did you create them, Geordi?"

At the beginning , Geordi had only been irritated by questions about the communicators and their appearance. By now, they embarrassed him. "Uh ... yes, this is my design."

Now Aasha was beaming at him. "Friendship bracelets, that’s so great!" Geordi was unsure if Aasha had understood or wanted to understand the primary function of the bangles. "I have just the right thing for you." She pressed something orange into Data’s hand and something dark blue into Geordi’s .

Geordi turned it in his hand. It was a small, oval metal plaque, in which the sign for infinity was very accurately engraved and a small pattern at the edge.

"Infinity is the most appropriate sign for androids without inventing something new that would have to be explained," said Aasha and pulled a chain out from under the collar of her dress. On it was a golden, round pendant, which also had the infinity sign engraved on it. "Of course, I’m aware that you’re not an android, Geordi. But you belong with us, like Bruce and Freya."

Bruce pointed to a small, silver pin on the left side of his collar, which had so far escaped Geordi. The sign for infinity could be seen on it as well. In front of him he heard a metallic click. Data had attached the plaque to his bracelet. Geordi put the blue metal on his bracelet and with another click it snuggled up. Didn’t Beverly say something about an engraving being missing? It looked really pretty.

"I like it," said Data, then put the sleeve back over it. "Thank you, Aasha."

"I like it too, thank you very much."

For a short moment , her aura seemed to flicker  - it happened so fast that Geordi wasn’t sure the next moment if he had actually seen it. Then her smile was back. "May we go to the Enterprise?"

"Yes, I’ve cleared everything up," Geordi replied. "You can even stay overnight. We can show you almost everything."

"If you want to sleep at night, you can do it in my quarters," Data added. "I have a cat named Spot, perhaps you would like to keep her occupied?"

"This sounds wonderful, I’m so excited!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoever finds the Hannibal reference in this chapter and writes it in the comments first may wish for a short story if they have an idea they want to see written by me 😁  
> Apart from that: Kudos and comments are as always appreciated 🥰


	3. Chapter 3

_Second Officer’s Personal Log Lieutenant Commander Data, Stardate 48287.65_

_We are on our way back to the Enterprise, accompanied by my niece, Aasha. Through my daughter Lal I am trained in handling a young android, but since androids are individuals, I expect interesting new experiences._

Geordi piloted the shuttle to the Enterprise and provided the usual specifications. Then it was automatically transferred to the hangar and landed. Geordi shut down the engines.

Aasha lined up behind Data to get out. "Tomorrow, I would like to show you the beach and cliffs outside the Institute as a thank-you. They’re my favorite places."

Geordi was the last to leave his seat. "Remind me tomorrow to take you up on that offer. I haven’t seen the ocean for far too long."

"Would you also like me to remind you of our dinner today at 1800 hours in your quarters, Geordi?" Data asked, got out and reached up to Aasha to help her. Not that it was really necessary.

Geordi laughed and followed them. "Done with this, I’d say."

"Do you eat together often?" Aasha wanted to know. "I experience that with Freya. I don’t have to eat, but it’s nice to be part of the table company."

"I feel the same way," said Data. "Normally, I enjoy eating in greater company. However, ... it is safer to eat in small groups if I try something new."

"For a functioning social environment, definitely." Geordi barely suppressed his laughter. With a broad grin, he briefly squeezed Data’s shoulder.

Captain Picard and Counselor Troi entered the hangar.

"Aasha," the Captain reached out to her. "I am Captain Jean-Luc Picard. I’m delighted to meet another member of Data’s family."

Reluctantly the young android took the offered hand. "Thank you, Captain Picard. I have some memories of Data that contain you. You stood up for both Data and Lal, fought for android rights and risked your career in the process. Without you, I probably wouldn’t exist. Thank you."

The captain smiled fatherly. "When I see you, I know these fights have been worthwhile."

Aasha nodded gratefully and turned to Counselor Troi, who also reached out her hand. "Hello, Aasha, I’m Deanna Troi. If you like, we will spend the evening together and I hope to be able to show or tell you some interesting things."

"Counselor Troi, I have some memories with you, too. Especially from my cousin. You were there when Lal first felt an emotion. It must be strange for you, as a half-Betazoid, to handle an artificial being."

"Not really," said Counselor Troi. "Unless the artificial being persistently refuses to have feelings or anything equivalent, though it is obvious." She gave Data a warm, humorous look. Data saved the moment as Friendship and received a slight reward impulse.

"We want to show Aasha the Enterprise first," he said and the Captain nodded.

"Don’t let me stop you, Mr. Data. It’s been a pleasure, Aasha."

Counselor Troi nodded at her. "See you later, dear."

They left the hangar towards the bridge, while Data, Aasha and Geordi started into the other direction.

When they arrived in engineering, Geordi apologized and explained that he would join them again later. Data knew that he was uncomfortable leaving his people alone, even if they were as few as they were now.

Data quickly realized that while Aasha found the technical details and functionalities informative, she was more interested in design and research. They spent most of their time in the various science departments, which was highly gratifying for Data as Chief Science Officer.

"I think Doctor Soong would be very proud of you Aasha," he said as they left the botany department. "He told me he wished I had become a scientist like him. Maybe this is your path."

"Do you think it’s possible?" Aasha linked arms with him and they walked slowly down the hall. "That one day I’ll stop living at the Institute and choose my own life, like you?"

"This is the next logical step." Data saw the tense face of his niece. "Does the thought of leaving the Institute and being responsible for yourself frighten you?"

"No, not that thought. I want to live a normal life. But ... I’m not like everyone else. I’m a positronic clone of Lore. No one knows exactly what that means. No one can tell me how much of Lore is inside me. I almost suffered a cascade failure when my emotions developed. What if that’s exactly what happened to Lore and that was the reason for his development? Perhaps it would be better if I stayed at the Institute. But I’m almost more afraid of having to spend my life as a research subject than I’m of becoming like Lore."

Data began to understand what a relief it had been to observe, adapt and develop without the influence of feelings. And also, without knowing about his family. He had known no doubts, no fears, no ambition. Only curiosity and the desire to be human. To belong.

"Ever since I can feel, I have come to understand why Lore became the one I had to shut down. In the end, all he wanted was unconditional acceptance of who he was from his father. Like any child."

Aasha looked at him with big eyes and stopped. "I want that, too."

"Aasha, you are not Lore," Data said emphatically, but softly. "Even though you were created from his positronic material. You are yourself and you can decide for yourself."

She nodded, but still looked anxious. Data searched his databases for an appropriate behavior for that moment. He wanted to comfort his niece, but felt that words were not enough. It took him 3.64 seconds, then he came across a gesture that he had observed several times before but never used himself. And he had received it himself in situations where he had been emotionally injured.

He put both arms around Aasha and pulled her towards him. Without hesitation she pressed herself against him and put her hands on his chest, her fingers gripped into the sturdy material of his shirt.

Hugs were something Data was not trained in at all. In fact, Geordi was the only one with whom he shared this demonstration of human affection. But with Aasha, it felt right, as it would have felt with Lal. After all, they were family.

That moment, when he had been able to wake Geordi up after the incident with the entity and had cried with relief, had burned itself deep into his memory. It had been the first embrace he had felt. And he hoped that he could give Aasha something similar to what he had received from Geordi at that time.

"Thank you, Data," Aasha finally said, separating herself from him and giving him a kiss on the cheek. That he had been kissed had been much longer ago than his last hug. Although Data was surprised, he automatically saved the moment under _Family_ and felt the soft, warm impulse.

"That’s family too," he said. Aasha nodded and he thought he had actually achieved what Geordi had done for him back then.

"Would you show me your picture of Lal, Data?" Aasha put her hands around his arm and they kept walking. "I have saved it as a memory, but I would like to see it before me."

Data nodded. "Of course, I keep all my paintings in my quarters. Let me call Geordi to join us. He has been in engineering too long already. After all, humans need regeneration time."

***

When they arrived at Data’s quarters, Geordi was already waiting for them and they entered. Aasha looked around with interest. Data greeted his cat Spot, who stroked his legs to mark him as one of her own. She ignored Geordi and then looked at Aasha. She crouched down and crawled the red cat, which Spot enjoyed with her eyes closed.

Geordi shook his head. "There must be something in the family that this cat likes you both."

Data was already flipping through his paintings, which he kept neatly tucked away. "Geordi, would you please take the painting off the easel and place it onto the chair at my workplace?"

Data stepped with the picture to the now empty easel and put it on it. Lal looked at them with a hardly noticeable smile, the black hair in a short bob, human skin, human eyes. Just as she had wished.

"She really chose her own look?" Aasha asked.

Data nodded. "Yes. There was no need to specify her looks for her. I created her without her own gender identity, so she was completely free in her choice. I also feared that if I determined her appearance, she might look like someone else."

"Like you. And me."

"Who were you designed after?" Geordi asked.

"Freya designed me after her daughter if she had reached my outer age. Apart from the color of my skin and eyes, which Bruce wanted to look artificial."

Geordi raised both eyebrows. "Wow. That’s even weirder than creating an android in your own image. Seeing the one you lost every day? Besides, it’s not like her daughter’s consciousness is in your body. You are you."

"I am convinced," said Data and continued to look at his painting, "that it was Doctor Soong’s goal to create a golem into which he could transfer his consciousness after his physical failure. Only he never got the chance."

"Like his wife, Juliana, that makes sense," muttered Geordi. "Do you think you and Lore ..." He didn’t finish the sentence, just made a vague hand movement, as Data could tell from the corners of his eyes.

"Were not so much his children but test hulls?" Data completed the question. Geordi nodded. "Ira Graves has proven it is possible to transfer a consciousness even when the body does already host one."

_"The last thing you should think of yourself, Data, is to be less perfect."_

_"You were the first one, Lore. You meant as much to me as Data ever did."_

"No," said Data firmly. "He was eccentric, not cruel." Data reached out and his fingertips brushed across his daughter’s cheek. Of course, he was only touching canvas. He could feel the difference very clearly. But he could still imagine it was her bioplast, as warm as his. He could call up her voice and hear it in his head. Her amazement. Her ability to use verbal contractions. Her feelings.

_"I love you, Father."_

_"I will feel it for both of us"_

_"Thank you for my life."_

"Data?"

Data flinched. His visual input was blurred. He blinked and moisture was dripping from his eyes. He had experienced this phenomenon twice before. What he felt was composed of so many components that Data could barely grasp them all. Pain. Loss. Sadness. Anger. Emptiness. A terrible mix of emotions.

Geordi pulled him into an embrace and held him tight. His hand stroked across Data’s back and Data lowered himself against his friend as far as he thought he could take it. The feeling that now arose was less strong, not penetrating. Something that lay over the unpleasant feelings like a warm blanket. A small relief.

Data breathed in and out. His insides felt calmer. He broke away from his friend and wiped away his tears. Crying - what a strange impulse. Not controllable. Not useful. Completely human. "Thank you, Geordi."

"Always."

Data took a step back from his painting and tilted his head. "These feelings are highly perplexing. I have thought about Lal regularly since I can feel. Why does a painting evoke such intense emotions?"

"According to Bruce’s theory, you’re not capable of directly evaluating all emotions like Aasha or Lore," Geordi said. "Probably because you never inserted the chip and the concealment mechanism only releases new emotions bit by bit. You will discover a lot more over the next few months."

"When I think about Doctor Soong, I do not feel as intensely. Just a slight sadness that I was not allowed to spend more time with him."

"Perhaps androids have a special bond with their own children. Like humans."

"You could see her, Data" Both turned to Aasha. She looked as sad as Data felt. "Lal was not dismantled, I went to see her. She looked like she was sleeping."

"That’s a good idea," Geordi agreed. "When my mother disappeared with the Hera, it was easier to accept that I would never see her again after interacting with the entity that took her form."

Data frowned. "I am aware that Lal is dead, Geordi."

"Rationally, you know it. But you don’t just have your mind anymore. Feelings are anything but logical, you just experienced that. Ask Bruce, I’m sure he’ll let you see her. Even alone, if you’d prefer that."

Data looked from Geordi to Aasha and finally to his painting. To see Lal again - was that what he really wanted? Could it be useful? What would Counselor Troi suggest? Probably that he should listen to what felt right and act on it.

"Yes, I think I will."

***

It was late afternoon and the appointment with Counselor Troi was getting closer. They had brought Aasha to Keiko O’Brien in the Arboretum, where she could discuss her plant breeding problems.

Now Data sat with the psychologist, as he had done every week since his involuntarily extended stay on Kargasius, where he had suffered a flashback of the traumatic experiences with the aerosol entity. In this respect he felt stable by now, although it was of course difficult to say, since Counselor Troi also had no experience with android feelings.

They had talked at length about his overload at that time and Data now understood better what was happening in him at those moments. They had talked a lot about the function of feelings and Data understood better and better how complex this field was - not that he understood the feelings themselves better. They confused, amazed and delighted him. But sometimes they were just disturbing or frustrating.

They sat together at a small table facing each other as if they were meeting to have a coffee in private. Counselor Troi smiled at him, friendly as always, her PADD on her lap. "How are you, Data?"

"I am fine, Counselor. The time with Aasha is very interesting. It makes me think about my brother and see him in a more differentiated way. It seems ... illogical, but Aasha shows me what also was inside him."

Counselor Troi smiled softly, her dark eyes resting quietly on him. "I’m glad you can see more in Lore, thanks to Aasha. However, ..." She looked at him attentively. "You know I can’t feel your emotions tangibly. But today I sense something urgent that has nothing to do with your family. What is it you really want to talk about?"

Data hesitated briefly, then said, "I would like to talk about Geordi."


	4. Chapter 4

At 1800 hours sharp Geordi’s door chirped. "Come in!" He heard the automatic door open and close, then looked up. "Hello, Data."

"Hello, Geordi." Data tilted his head to one side. "You are wearing Aasha’s replicated clothes."

Geordi stroked over the soft, dark blue material of his shirt, which snuggled pleasantly around his body, while the white trousers were cut wider. "I like your choice of colors."

Data nodded, a narrow smile on his lips. "I am glad." His aura glowed softly and he stepped further into the room, though he seemed a little uncertain.

"How was your appointment with Deanna?" Geordi asked, waving him over to the sofa.

"I would say ... interesting."

They sat down. "It’s okay if you don’t want to talk about it. The sessions with your psychologist are just for you. It’s important that the talking helps you understand."

Data hesitated briefly, then nodded. "It was a very ... intense conversation. I have a lot to think about."

"Understandable," Geordi said. "First you have to get used to feelings, and then Bruce tells you that you’ve had the facility for feelings since you were designed. You handle it admirably."

Data remained unusually quiet, didn’t look at Geordi and stared into the room without blinking and with a neutral face. Geordi had rarely seen him so deeply in thought.

"Can I help you think, Data?" Geordi asked, bumping his knee gently. "And I don’t want to hear about calculations, researches or database amendments."

A thin smile came to Data’s face. "Gladly, Geordi." Then he got serious again. "It is the thought of family. All my encounters with my family have been ... problematic. My father, Doctor Soong, who was probably the most eccentric person I have ever met."

Geordi nodded slowly. "Your brother Lore, a neurotic narcissist who’s tried to kill us more than once"

"My grandfather, Ira Graves, who tried to steal my body."

"Your daughter Lal, who died shortly after you created her."

"My mother Juliana, who does not know she is now an android herself."

Geordi sighed and put one hand on Data’s shoulder. "I see what you mean. Family is a difficult subject even for humanoids and sometimes it doesn’t let us act like ourselves. If anyone knows that, it’s me. When I thought my mother’s life was in danger, even though she was missing at the time, I almost killed myself trying to help her. Or look at the relationship between Will and his father. Or Deanna and her mother. Or the Captain and his brother. Or Worf and his clan."

Data was silent for a moment with a wrinkled forehead and seemed to process Geordi’s words. "According to this, it is not desirable to have a family or maintain contact with them. However, humanoids will do almost anything to achieve that. So do I. Despite what my brother did to me, I am reluctant to destroy him."

"Welcome to the illogical emotional world of organic humanoids." Geordi squeezed his shoulder, then left his arm on the backrest. "But that is not all family can be. Actually, family is a safe haven to return to at any time. Besides, it’s not just the family you are born into, or in your case, created into. Friends can also become family. Especially if there is a lack of contact or healthy relationships with your biological family."

Data straightened up and raised his eyebrows attentively. "Geordi, am I family to you?"

Geordi felt heat rising into his cheeks and yet he did not hesitate for a second with his answer. "Of course, Data. For a long time." Data’s aura did not respond. Did he say too much? On the other hand, with Deanna, Data may have found a way to stabilize his emission levels after all. That beautiful glow that only Geordi could see. "Data, I ...­" He felt Data’s hand on his, his intense gaze and closeness became so clear to Geordi that he couldn’t remember what he wanted to say.

"Inquiry, Geordi." Data pulled back his hand and Geordi wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or disappointed. "Do you believe false emotions should be repaired?"

For a moment, Geordi was irritated by the change of subject. Then he remembered their discussion earlier that day. "To me, as an engineer, _repairing_ means finding the malfunction in a system, finding the cause and thinking of a solution to fix it. To do this, I need to know how the faulty system would function without error. I know you want to help Lore, and of course you could use the same approach with him. If you knew how his psyche would function flawlessly. And that’s where it gets complicated.

Lore is not just a machine, and neither are you. Besides, you’re not the same, even though your bases were almost identical. So, I cannot extrapolate from you to him as I would with our work consoles. They have no psyche, unlike you. Doctor Soong made no errors in his programming. Lore evolved naturally. In my opinion, Lore didn’t need a cyberneticist then, but a psychologist and a stable caregiver, like you right now. Doctor Soong shut him down because it was the easiest and fastest solution at that moment. Imagine if my parents had done this to me."

"Why would they do that, Geordi? Your social conduct is largely unblemished."

"I’m blind, Data. That’s the symptom of an irreparable malfunction in my physical development. Just as Lore’s behavior was the symptom of a malfunction in his emotional development."

Data pulled his eyebrows together. "Your blindness did not lead to antisocial behavior."

"No? Remember what I told you about my childhood and my attachment to computers? I didn’t try to kill anyone, but is it socially healthy behavior to refer to computers as friends instead of my own kind?"

Data tilted his head first in one direction then in the other. "I understand, Geordi. Your parents did not tell you that you were flawed and supported you. That is why you did not feel flawed and were able to develop social competence after all."

"Right. With Lore, I’m not surprised he was becoming more extreme. Especially when Doctor Soong preferred to work on you to progress in his research. I think he underestimated how human Lore was. And how vulnerable. He was like a small child, breaking boundaries at will. With your physical superiority, what could a human do? If there had been an android present then, who could have held him at bay and guided him, I’m sure Lore would have developed differently. But as it was he only learnt the hardest penalty for bad behavior."

Data nodded. "To be turned off."

"No, Data. Lore was abandoned."

Data blinked once. Then he blinked again. His glow got a little more intense. "No one has ever seen it like that." His aura became a little brighter still. "Thank you, Geordi. That was most illuminating."

"No problem." Geordi stood up and relaxed his tensed shoulders. "Those were only the thoughts of an engineer on psychology. You’d better talk to Deanna about Lore, after all, she is the one with the degree in psychology. Let’s eat now, deep talk makes me hungry."

"Alright." Data also got up and they went over to the replicator.

"Would you like to try something from my home country? I’ve programmed in some Somali dishes."

"Gladly."

"In front of me it doesn’t matter if you spit it out if you don’t like it." He grinned and Data smiled as well.

"I do not think that is going to happen."

***

When it beeped at his door the next morning, Geordi was still having breakfast and reading reports on the past day on his PADD.

"Yeah?" He looked up as the door opened, and the fork full of replicated scrambled eggs stuck between his lips. "Data?" At the sight of his friend’s far too pale aura, he put down his cutlery and PADD. "What is ..."

"Geordi, we must run a diagnostic immediately. I have experienced extensive memory loss combined with uncontrollable dream circuitry."

"Hold on, hold on." Geordi raised his hands and stepped up to Data. "You lack memory and your dream subroutine just turned itself on?"

"Correct. Furthermore, I could not shut down my dream subroutine on my own. I awoke at 0700 hours sharp."

"Okay, got it. Let’s do it at your place, you are better equipped."

Half an hour later they had done the check. Geordi rubbed the bridge of his nose and shook his head. "We’re not any smarter than before. You have no memory of yesterday from 1747 onwards and your dream subroutine was set up at 2037 so that you would wake up today at 0700 without being able to stop the dream. I didn’t know that was possible. However, there doesn’t seem to be any malfunction. You’d better have Bruce check you later. Your aura looked pretty pale last night. Maybe it’s related." He called up some more monitoring overviews, but even these didn’t show more than he already knew.

"So we met for dinner yesterday?"

"Yes, I had programmed something from my home country. You liked the food."

"That is good. Did we talk about anything specific?"

"Lore. At your request."

Data nodded. "This sounds logical after yesterday’s events. Was it ... a good conversation?"

Geordi disconnected the cable from Data’s interface. "Yeah. My point was, not everything can be technically fixed. Not in sentient beings like you and Lore."

"You are probably right. But I would leave nothing unattempted. He is my brother, Geordi."

"I know." He closed the flap on Data’s head and straightened his hair. His fingers brushed across Data’s temple. Data twitched slightly, his eyes grew large and Geordi felt before he saw Data holding his hand.

The delicate bioplast, Geordi had completely forgotten about it. Data’s aura glowed brightly and Geordi felt his heartbeat throughout his body. He wanted to give in to the impulse to bend down and pull Data towards him.

Under the sleeves of their shirts their bracelets glowed and almost touched each other. The emblems stood out darkly. "Where is Aasha?"

"Before my appointment with Counselor Troi, we had agreed that she would be allowed to study all night in various science departments to make the most of her time on board." Data let go of his hand and Geordi stepped back. His pulse calmed down.

"I’m sure you’ve already contacted her."

"Of course. She did not notice anything unusual and she has not been to my quarters. That would not have been possible either, the door was locked."

Geordi frowned. "You never lock your door."

"I know."

***

At Data’s request, they told Aasha nothing of his malfunctions. However, they sent a brief report to the Captain, stating that Data would be given a thorough examination by Bruce Maddox. Before they left, they received a brief _I want you to report back to me as soon as you return_.

When they arrived at Bruce’s, they described Data’s problem to him. Aasha went upstairs to Freya and wanted to return to them later. He immediately agreed to examine Data, but they had to do it in the positronics department. Geordi was certain Data preferred that as well. There he was not stared at all the time and his malfunction remained among them.

On the way up they met Aasha. She stopped in front of them in the middle of the stairs and tilted her head slightly to one side. "Should I come back to the positronics lab?"

"No need," Bruce said. "I have to check something with Data."

Aasha’s face brightened. "Then could Geordi come for a walk with me?" She looked at him and tugged at her chain she wore over a long dress today.

"By all means," Geordi said, offering her his arm. She happily clasped it. "I understand you had a long night on the Enterprise."

They walked to the cliffs near which the Institute was built. The wind carried the salty smell of the sea up to them and the water glittered before them. The beach looked like a tropical island with its light sand, and on their side the cliffs almost rose above the water.

Aasha told him about her new scientific findings as they walked along the cliffs. In her enthusiasm and wonder, she reminded Geordi so much of Data a few years ago, when many human things had been incomprehensible and surprising to him. Much time had passed, Data had learned so much and was now on the verge of becoming as human as possible.

"It looks like Data’s finished." Aasha pointed toward the Institute, from where he was approaching them.

"Bruce wants to see you, Aasha," Data said when he got to them.

"Yes, right away. Pick me up later?"

Geordi nodded. "As promised."

They looked after her and when she was out of earshot, Geordi asked, "Was Bruce able to help you?"

"Thankfully, yes."

"And your memories of last night?"

"We were able to restore them. I will show you when we get back to the Enterprise."

"Thank goodness. Let’s go down to the beach. The sound of the sea magically attracts me."

Aasha had shown Geordi a way down before. There was no one else on the beach, it was part of the Institute and civilians were not allowed to enter. Geordi took off his shoes and stuffed his socks in. He dug his toes into the fine, warm sand and felt himself transported back to his childhood.

"Would you like to walk by the water, Geordi?" asked Data, who by now had also taken off his shoes and socks and was carrying them in his hand. "According to my data banks, humans like that feeling."

Geordi smiled. "Absolutely!"

They walked barefoot next to each other under the cliffs. The water sloshed over their feet and Geordi could see for meters into the completely clear sea. He could have listened to the sound of the waves forever.

A hand gently reached for his and he turned to Data. He smiled at him, his aura a soft glow in the shadow of the cliffs. "Is this acceptable? We did that last night, which is why I assumed-"

"Perfectly acceptable." A pleasant tingling sensation ran through Geordi’s stomach and he clasped Data’s hand a little tighter. "This beach reminds me of home and family vacations when I was a kid. I love that salty smell." Geordi took a deep breath and then stopped, shoulder to shoulder with Data. "And I love this moment. With you." Geordi looked at his friend, for whom he had long felt more than he wanted to admit.

"Geordi." Data’s voice sounded deeper, more tempting, and Geordi was sure that no matter what Data asked, he would do it. "I would like to kiss you."

Geordi stroked across Data’s chest up to his right shoulder and face. Data leaned towards him without hesitation and Geordi kissed him so tenderly that their lips barely touched.

He felt for Data’s left wrist.

Nothing.

Geordi froze. Then he withdrew as carefully as if reality could break around him. The aura before him hadn’t changed.

"You’re not Data." The familiar face looked at him questioningly. Geordi felt nauseous. "Lore. How can this be?"

Lore showed him his usual crooked grin and his aura glowed a little brighter. Geordi felt a blow against his temple and sank into the fog of unconsciousness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What a blow for poor Geordi, especially at this very moment. I hope it was a little surprising for you, too. Let me know what you think 😊


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter includes lots of news for Data that he'd rather not heard about. Not that ignoring things makes it better. Which Data never would. So on we go.

_Second Officer’s Personal Log Lieutenant Commander Data, Stardate 48288.4_

_Commander Bruce Maddox has tested my systems at my request after I suffered memory loss last night and my dream subroutine was turned on against my will and without any possibility of intervention. The results of the examination are irritating._

"It’s weird," Bruce said, studying the results of his exams. "I can see that your nutrient fluid contains an unusual constituent, but it’s already severely degraded. Did you eat anything unusual yesterday?"

"Up until the time of my memory loss, I had not eaten anything. Not even my usual nutrient suspension. However, Geordi said we had eaten together. Something Somali he had programmed into the replicator."

"Replicate it again and have it analyzed. When you have the results, send them to me. I may find a component that has proven problematic in my research."

Data nodded. "Thank you, that might explain the memory loss. However, it does not explain that my dream subroutine has activated on its own."

"Have you ever set it up like this before?" Bruce changed the views on his displays and called up several logs.

"As a Starfleet officer, I must be operational at all times. I would never set my dream subroutine like that."

"Consciously certainly not. But with an unknown substance in your systems?"

"Hm."

Bruce closed the displays and Data disconnected the cable from the interface on the right side of his head.

"Data, despite all this, have you considered my request?"

"I have. I will help you, we can start right away. However, I would like to see my daughter first."

Bruce’s expression changed from interested to joyful and settled at astonished.

"After so many years?"

"I have been able to feel for only a few months. I may have stored all her memories, but I would still like to see her body."

"No problem. Come on." Bruce got up and Data followed him. "We have to go next door to the main lab. I’m sure Freya is there. She’s always there. We never dismantled Lal. Even if we turned her on, nothing much would happen."

"I know. I deactivated Lal."

They entered the main laboratory, containing some workstations and three examination couches. Freya looked up and at first seemed as if they had disturbed her doing important work, then she looked surprised from one to the other.

"Didn’t you want to test the emotion transfer in your lab?" she asked Bruce, but looked at Data.

"I need Aasha for that. She’s not back from her walk with Geordi. Data wants to see Lal."

Freya turned to one of the couches, which was surrounded by a transparent cocoon. Data recognized his daughter in it. Freya went over and typed on the control panel. The cocoon opened and she stepped aside.

"Come, Data. I took good care of her."

Data nodded and noticed in the next moment that his legs only wanted to move him slowly.

"We’ll wait outside," Bruce said. Data heard the door behind him.

He stood before the couch and looked at his daughter’s body. She really looked like she was asleep. There was nothing about her appearance to indicate that she wasn’t alive. Her skin was just as rosy as then, her expression was almost exactly like in his painting. She wore all her clothes, even her shoes. Her hands were at her sides.

Carefully he stretched out a finger and touched her hand. Apart from the temperature differential, she felt like Data remembered her. He caressed her arm, her hair, her cheek. Data felt a strange need to give her something. A small gift, a flower, something to show his affection. He looked around the lab and there stood actually a small flowerpot of chamomile on one of the tables. He pulled out a flower, put it into Lal’s dark hair and was wondering at the same time about this sentimental act.

Again he touched her hand and forearm, as Geordi had done when he had freed him from burnt bioplast. A wave of that uncomfortable mixture of feelings overcame him, which he identified as grief. Data wished Geordi was at his side when the feelings came over him.

When he felt stable again, having wiped away tears and shifted his grief as far as possible into his subconscious, he left the main lab. The door to Bruce’s lab was open and he heard his and Aasha’s voice.

"Aasha, this test is very important for my research. We can’t complete another android until the emotion transfer works. Data is the only possibility and now is the only time."

"I know all that, Bruce. Can you really not find another way to stabilize? If it works, every other android depends on me. You will always need me."

Data knocked on the door frame. "Forgive me for intruding. I do not think we should take this test if Aasha does not want to."

"It’s not about the test, Data," said Aasha and was immediately interrupted by Bruce.

"And that’s why we can do it. We’ll talk about everything else later. "He cast a stern glance at Aasha, who lowered her eyes, defeated.

Data made a mental note that he would talk about this later with Bruce in private. "Aasha, where is Geordi?"

"Still on the beach. I’ll take you to him when we’re done."

"Can we get started?" As Bruce looked from Aasha to Data, both nodded. "Fine. Now, Data. First, we’ll adjust the loophole in your homing device so you can open or close it on your own. For that, I will need to wire you."

It was a fairly simple procedure once you knew what you were looking for. If it worked still had to be tried out. Bruce focused his attention on the readouts.

"Alright, I’m going to connect you and Aasha first with this little device. This is an Emotrans, one of the prototypes. It merely provides a wireless link between transmitter and receiver. The transmitter becomes capable of transmitting their feelings to the receiver. The receiver can only block this connection by closing the loophole. You both have to keep it open at all times. I connect the Emotrans to my terminal so I can see if the transmission is working and I get a warning if the data transfer gets too high. Then I’ll switch the Emotrans off. I can’t read the nature of the emotion. For control purposes, I ask you to tell one another what you are getting. Any questions?"

Data and Aasha shook their heads and Bruce connected Data to the Emotrans. "Look at each other while doing this, it should feel less weird. Data, think of something positive that isn’t personal. Sunshine, birds singing, something like that."

Data nodded. "Ready." He thought of the input sounds from the terminals on the Enterprise. Aasha looked at him and he knew exactly when she received the feeling.

"Contentment."

Data nodded.

"Now something impersonally negative," Bruce said. "An unpleasant sound or smell, for example."

Data thought of the sound of the red alert.

"Alertness."

Data nodded again.

"I’m turning the device off," Bruce said. "Data, please think of something moderately positive and negative, personal to you."

That was easy. Spots purring and stroking her was the positive. A comrade in distress was the negative. "Ready."

Bruce turned the Emotrans back on. Aasha recognized the positive feeling as coziness and the negative as concern, which Data confirmed both. He turned to Bruce, who looked very pleased with them.

"You’re doing very well. Now it’s getting tricky. This is about very strong personal feelings. Data, try not to take the most intense. I will turn off the device for a short break after the positive emotion. Ready?"

Data wasn’t sure what to take. A celebration on ten-forward? One of their Sherlock Holmes games on the holodeck? Or more generally, his friendship with Geordi?

"Ready." Data wasn’t thinking about a specific event from the past. He was looking forward to joining Geordi on the beach later on.

Aasha seemed to enjoy the feelings she was getting from him. She closed her eyes and a gentle smile spread across her face.

"Aasha?" Bruce’s voice cut through the intimate moment.

"Affection." Her smile seemed to tell Data more, though.

"Remember, Data," Bruce said behind him. "Not too intense. I realize you’ve had a lot to go through on the Enterprise. But the death of someone close to you would be too much."

Data was thinking. He didn’t want to put Aasha through his grief for Lal or Tasha.

"Ready?"

"Yes." The experiences of the last few months had been full of negative feelings, but nothing of that was suitable for Aasha either. And yet he knew that he was sending those same feelings to her.

The first physical pain when the phaser exploded in his hand and tore off his arm. The concern for Geordi and the Enterprise when the microorganism took over the Enterprise’s main computer. The fear for Geordi, when he failed to wake him after the entity left his body. The desperation when Geordi writhed and screamed in his arms, dying. The pain when Data thought he’d lost him.

"Stop!"

Data got startled out of his thoughts and looked up. Tears ran down Aasha’s face and her eyes were wide open.

"Stop it, please."

Data closed the loophole and Aasha slumped panting and sobbing in her chair. He was with her immediately, took her into his arms, stroked her back calmly. "I am sorry." Data kept saying it until he thought she had calmed down. Then he let go of her, but still held her hand.

"I don’t want to go on, Bruce," Aasha said in a breaking voice. "You’ve seen that it works."

"I should not have agreed to this." Data pulled the cable out of his interface and closed the flap on the right side of his head. "At a certain point, it is no longer possible to control the intensity of the feelings sent."

"We don’t have to go on. I have everything I need." His voice sounded very businesslike for Aasha to almost have had an emotional breakdown.

Data frowned. "What does that mean? This emotional transfer must not be repeated. It is too dangerous for the recipient."

"I heard you, Data. Aasha will not have to repeat it."

Something about the way Bruce said it made him wonder. He took one look at the display. Then he looked at the Emotrans. And to Bruce. "What have you done, Bruce?"

"Nothing at all, Data. It was only a test." Bruce was so calm, Data almost believed him. If he hadn’t seen what he had seen on the screen for a brief moment.

Data stood up and let go of Aasha’s hand. "I am not only an android, but also a cyberneticist. I recognize programming from my positronic matrix when I see it. I will ask you again, what have you done?"

"Data, nothing happened."

"Then I will tell you. You stored the energy signature of my emotions and were also able to determine if the emotions had a positive or negative effect on the sending matrix. With this small device, you could transfer my emotions to another android at will. What are you up to, Bruce? Do you plan to make the next generation of your android clones compliant in this manner?"

"No, no, Data, for goodness’ sake." Bruce waved his hands defensively. "I don’t want to torture healthy androids with this. As I said, we can use your emotions for stabilization. Aasha will leave the Institute one day. I need a healthy set of emotions. Yours are the healthiest I can get. And from an original Soong-type. I knew you wouldn’t voluntarily participate if I told you exactly how it worked."

"I would not have given you the last emotion voluntarily. You manipulated me. You talked about not thinking of the most intense memory for so long that I could not help but do so. You knew about Tasha and Lal. Why do you need this emotion?"

"As a form of security."

"Against whom?"

"Basically," the cyberneticist hesitated before going on, "Basically, to do what you asked me to."

It took Data less than a millisecond to assemble the information. "You are going to activate Lore." He clenched his left fist and felt a hot impulse pass through his body, which had nothing to do with what he knew of his reward center.

"He’s the only working specimen-"

"I want to see him," Data interrupted Bruce in a still calm, but much harder voice. "Now."

Bruce sighed but nodded and they went back to the main lab. Bruce pressed a button on one of the walls, a hatch opened and a stretcher came out. Data looked at the naked body before him, which looked exactly like his own.

"When was the last time you worked on him yourself?" Data asked, sliding his fingers across the face.

"That ... was several months ago. I was busy with Aasha and the cloning."

Data stroke out and let his fist come down on the head in front of him. The bioplast tore, the skull burst open and underneath it only plastic came out, nothing else. Bruce stared at the destroyed shell with an open mouth.

Data’s breathing rate increased to regulate the rising internal heat. "Where is Lore?"

"I ... that ... I have no idea." This time Bruce seemed genuinely terrified. "Freya worked on him last."

Data let his eyes wander briefly through the lab. "She did not return after I visited Lal."

Bruce rushed over from the main lab into his own. Data followed him.

"Aasha’s gone." Bruce stood in the doorway and looked around at Data. "She took the Emotrans."

Data was tapping onto his Starfleet communicator. "Data to Commander La Forge." Nothing happened. Then he raised his left hand. "Data to Geordi." But even the positronic communicator remained silent.

"We must notify Starfleet immediately." Bruce seemed almost panicked.

"I will contact the Enterpr-" Data hesitated when he felt vibrations on his wrist. He touched the bracelet, but it wasn’t the positronic communicator that vibrated. It was the emblem. In Morse code.

" _My dearest brother, you have no doubt already noticed that you have lost some people. I advise you not to inform anyone of this loss. Geordi would not take it well. I will await you. You have two hours, then we and our remains will be gone like the US military."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Right, next chapter will be the meeting of the two brothers. Not under the best of circumstances, but that seems to be standard for those two.  
> Leave a kudo or comment if you liked this chapter 🥰 See you next time!


	6. Chapter 6

Geordi regained consciousness with a slight headache, which in itself was nothing special. Then he remembered who had caused that pain. He was still wearing his visor, which made him wonder, but he was also glad about it. When he tried to move, he noticed that his hands were tied around a table leg that was screwed to the floor. The table was made of extremely sturdy steel. The building would rather collapse than this table.

Geordi looked around. His surroundings seemed to be an old laboratory, probably no longer officially in use. Everywhere he could see traces of decay, the ceiling was barely supported, one of the inner walls was crumbling and moisture was seeping into an outer wall from below. The furnishings had clearly aged. But the technology looked modern and was functioning.

"It’s about time you woke up."

Geordi looked around. A person with a softly glowing aura came up to him. The voice would have deceived him, but the sound clearly indicated who he was facing.

"What do you want this time, Lore?"

Lore let a scolding click be heard. "Not so aggressive, Geordi. I want nothing from you. Although ... I do have a question. You can imagine my surprise when I realized your feelings for my brother during our wonderful conversation yesterday." He crouched down before Geordi, crossed his forearms on his knees, grinning mockingly. "How did Data do that?"

Geordi’s pulse increased and heat rose to his face. He knew Lore was capable of measuring both. "It’s not possible to force someone to fall in love with him. But you’ll hardly understand that."

Lore’s aura flickered and became darker. His expression did the same. "I understand more than you think." A split second later, Lore was back in control and the arrogant grin was back along with a brighter aura. "In the end you bought my little charade."

"Because I wanted it to be true."

Lore tilted his head to one side, just as Data did when he thought. The grin was not quite as arrogant as before, his aura not quite as bright. "I can’t get it into my head that a human, surrounded by as many humanoids as on the Enterprise, could fall in love with the only human-like machine of all people. Although, admittedly, I find it droll."

"Counter-question. What did it feel like to be loved? Was that _droll_ too?"

Again Lore’s aura flickered, became bright and almost completely disappeared before it glowed again, dull and stable. "You are further proof that Data gets anything without effort. Our father’s acceptance, friendship, a chance at a normal life. Even the love of an average human."

"I hope you didn’t kidnap me to listen to you whine. It’s pretty tiring." No sooner had Geordi uttered the words that Lore grabbed his neck and squeezed. Geordi knew if the android was serious, he could break his neck with a flick of his wrist. Again Lore’s aura shone brightly, only to be barely visible the next moment. The pressure around Geordi’s neck disappeared and he coughed.

"From the looks of it, I can change. Without repairs or reprogramming. Like you said."

The door to the lab opened. Geordi was still coughing, but he recognized another aura and a dark figure.

"Papa!" Aasha ran towards Lore. "Don’t hurt him, please! Geordi and Data treated me like a person. Like family."

Lore stood up and took Aasha into his arms. "It’ll soon be over, little one. One way or another." The auras of both androids lit up softly, as if they were synchronized to each other, and Geordi thought he was hallucinating.

"I must prepare you both," Freya said and sounded extremely tense.

Lore nodded and stretched out his hand to Aasha. "It’s the only way he’ll understand." Aasha’s aura became paler. She put something into Lore’s hand, his fingers closed around it and she left the lab with Freya into an adjoining room.

Lore looked motionlessly down at his fist, as if he was deep in thought, and Geordi wondered if he had the right android in front of him. Every time they had met Lore, he had deceived and tormented them with malicious joy. He had never shown kindness or even mercy to anyone.

"You asked me why you’re here." Lore turned to Geordi. "The official story is that I had planned to take Data’s place on the Enterprise. He would have been given my place at the institute in return. Deactivated and in pieces. Eventually, Bruce would have noticed, but by then I would have been light years away with the Enterprise, resigned my commission and disappeared. To do that, I had to convince the person closest to Data. You. It almost worked."

Geordi shook his head in confusion. "This sounds so crazy, even you wouldn’t seriously consider this plan. You have failed to fool us for long before. You had to know it would be far too dangerous. Despite your admittedly good preparation. What is the unofficial story?"

This time Lore looked at him seriously and resembled Data so much that Geordi had to remind himself who he really had in front of him. "It will soon be over, Geordi."

***

_Second Officer’s Personal Log Lieutenant Commander Data, Stardate 48288.5_

_Together with Commander Bruce Maddox, I started to search Freya Madsen’s records to find out where Lore is. At the same time, I am working on a plan to face my brother prepared. Whatever he is up to, I have to assume that it includes my and Geordi’s destruction._

"At the time of World War II and afterwards, an American military base was located on Ie-jima." Data scrolled through the documents on Freya’s computer. "This site has not existed since 2087. In 2253, the first Daystrom Institute was built on the island."

"It was abandoned as the island sank further and further into the sea," Bruce added. "The last departments were evacuated in 2323. Today, the island is only half as large. Many of the old buildings have sunk into the sea. It’s lethal to enter the island, let alone the laboratories."

"And yet Freya seems to have established something there."

"How will you find two humans and two androids in this mountain of debris?"

"The shuttle’s sensors can scan for life signs." Data was typing in a hurry while a plan was forming in his mind.

"And where do you want to land? It’s not safe on the site, some underground vaults have already collapsed. It is also too dangerous on top of the buildings and the rest of the island is completely overgrown. We don’t have time to land at the other end of the island, where it would be safe, and walk four kilometers."

"I am not going to land. Come on, Bruce, we have to make arrangements. Like you said, we do not have much time."

***

Geordi had tried to reach Data with his positronic communicator, but the device remained silent. Removing the emblem on the bracelet and breaking it hadn’t helped. Data was probably still wearing his. He had used his visor to try to find weak points in the metal of the steel table or his restraints, but that had been equally unsuccessful. There was nothing he could do but hope for Data. And that Lore wouldn’t kill him beforehand.

In the middle of another frustrating thought the door to the adjoining room opened. Lore came out and approached him. However, he seemed changed. Geordi couldn’t really see it, but his visor showed different colors for Lore’s Bioplast. A bright, rosy tone, like the one he knew from humans. His eyes were no longer golden but blue, as he realized when Lore crouched down to pick up the destroyed parts of the emblem.

"Ah, very good, Geordi, that was the right thought. Although too late. The emblems actually suppress your communicators. Even the positronic ones." Lore pointed to Geordi’s right wrist. "Don’t worry, I won’t take it away. Aasha told me that you and Data possess the only copies. I’m curious. Did Data understand the meaning? Or are his newfound emotions incapable of understanding it?"

Geordi was seldom happy about the fact that his visor covered his eyes and thus he lost part of his facial expression. This was one such moment. "I don’t know."

Lore looked at him intensely, a mocking smile playing around his mouth. "Probably not, the way you acted when you thought I was him. Tell me, how did it happen? Why does my perfect brother suddenly have these imperfect feelings?"

Geordi shrugged. "Bruce has a theory. He believes Doctor Soong programmed you both with emotions because there’s no other way to create a stable positronic matrix. He probably equipped Data with some sort of concealment mechanism so he couldn’t evaluate and process what he felt, thus feelings didn’t exist for him. Since he has been on the Enterprise, he has developed so much that single emotions could no longer be hidden by this mechanism."

Lore frowned. "Doctor Soong said the emotion chip contains Data’s basic emotions."

"He was lying," Geordi said. "Or at least exaggerating. Bruce thinks the chip might have been able to override the mechanism, possibly containing an emotion enhancer."

"That actually makes sense." Lore laughed cheerlessly. "No wonder that thing fried my matrix. You know, our last encounter, that was pretty much over the top, even by my standards. I have no problem sacrificing humans, I don’t care if you die. But torture?"

"There’s a first time for everything."

Lore sighed and looked at him almost reproachfully. "Geordi. I’m a narcissist, a murderer, perhaps a sadist. I enjoy making others feel my superiority. But I’ve never been interested in physical torture. When I called the Crystalline Entity to you, I wanted to see your fear and show you how insignificant you are compared to us. Your death would have been quick and almost painless. Data, on the other hand, would have been spared. In my sanity, I would never torture or kill my brother. As much as I despise Data, we’re the only functioning Soong-type androids who are aware of it."

The more Lore spoke, the less Geordi knew who he was facing. The Lore he knew would never have talked to him so openly. Or at all - it would have been beneath him. "Data feels the same way. When Bruce told us he’d found out how your emotions work, the first thing he asked was if he could fix your emotional center."

"What did Bruce say?"

"That Doctor Soong may have been able to do so because he built your positronic brain. But he only knows in theory how it works. However, ... someone seems to have managed to repair you."

Lore tapped against his head. "This was pretty messed up when Data shut me down. An almost complete cascade failure after the direct hit with the phaser. But Freya had a brilliant idea. She took some of Aasha’s positronic neurons and implanted them in me. If a healthy android can be cloned from my neurons, why wouldn’t replantation work?"

Geordi held his breath for a moment. "Which it did."

Lore nodded. "A miracle, indeed. They didn’t give Aasha a name that means _hope_ for nothing. A bit pathetic, if you ask me."

"Not at all," Geordi immediately contradicted him. "She was your last hope of living again. Her neurons stimulated your matrix to regenerate. She repaired you."

"If you like, yes." Lore smiled, even his aura lit up, though not as bright as Data’s, when he was honestly happy. "I’m back to who I was before I used Data’s emotion chip. And still ... damaged." A bitter expression came over Lore’s face and Geordi could only shake his head repeatedly.

"What I told you yesterday when I thought you were Data, I meant it. Doctor Soong underestimated your humanity. You wouldn’t send a human to a brain surgeon if they had mental problems."

Lore looked at him in silence and without blinking for a long time, as if he was scanning not only his face, but his mind. "You’re a strange one, Geordi. After I manipulated Data at our last encounter to torture and ultimately kill you, you defend me?"

"I literally see more than any other human." Geordi was tapping against his visor. "I can see positronic emission as an aura around you. The intensity of the aura varies with your emotional state. With Data and Aasha, it glows for positive sensations like joy and fades for negative ones like pain. With you, it’s ... inverted. But only partially. When your emotions relate to yourself, everything is like with Data and Aasha. But with others, it is all inverted. Your aura lights up when you hurt others and gets dull when you should feel something positive. Except with Aasha. And with ..." Geordi stopped, but he knew at that moment he’d already said too much.

Lore looked at him with raised eyebrows, his aura flickered ominously. "Speak up, Geordi." His smile grew so wide that his mouth looked like a hard crack in his face.

Geordi swallowed. "With me. You’re changing more than-"

A distant crash sounded through the complex, the size of which Geordi could not even begin to estimate. Lore’s face brightened and his aura stabilized.

"Ah, we have a visitor. And right on time."


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally the brothers meet...

_Second Officer’s Personal Log Lieutenant Commander Data, Stardate 48288.6_

_Commander Bruce Maddox and I are on our way to the old site of the Daystrom Institute on Ie-jima. As described, the island is in overgrown condition and the site is in a derelict state. Shuttlecraft sensors have detected two life forms. The complex has already partly sunk into the sea and collapsed due to earthquakes and corrosion. A tremor could cause further unpredictable destruction._

"Are you absolutely sure this is the right location?" Bruce looked nervously at the displays.

"My calculations are as precise as circumstances permit, and I have repeated them three times." He typed, checked again and then looked at Bruce. "Are you ready to take over the shuttle?"

"No. But I don’t think we have an alternative."

Data nodded and rose from the control panel. "I have adjusted the autopilot so that the shuttle will hover as closely as possible over the buildings at exactly the position I have calculated. Once I disembark, you will withdraw and await my signal." Data removed the orange emblem with the sign for infinity from his bracelet, took it off and handed it to Bruce. "This communicator responds only to my voice patterns. But we can contact you through it."

"Where is your Starfleet communicator?"

"At the Institute. The Enterprise would find us too soon otherwise. I need some time, Bruce."

The cyberneticist looked at him thoughtfully. "That’s why you didn’t want to take your shuttle, but one of ours." He put the bracelet on.

Data pulled the phaser from his waist belt, which he had taken from the Enterprise shuttle.

"Lore may wish to contact you again via the emblem."

"Not just before the deadline. I suspect it contains a jamming device, which is why I was unable to contact Geordi." He set his phaser on low, put the emblem on the bench and fired. Electric lightning flashed.

The shuttle slowed down and hovered two meters above the roof of the building where the sensors displayed the life forms. Data nodded at Bruce and he opened the back hatch.

"Good luck."

"Thank you." Then he jumped out of the shuttle.

***

The door was pushed open and the glowing aura came in which Geordi had hoped for. Slow clapping echoed through the room.

"Bravo, brother. I had expected you sooner, but at least you made it."

Data surveyed the room. His gaze lingered briefly on Geordi, who nodded to indicate that he was unharmed. Then he looked at Lore. It was the sight of him that made Data stop and stare.

"Don’t stand in the doorway like a phaser hit you."

Data entered carefully. "Why are we here, Lore?"

"Don’t you want to know how _I_ can be here?"

"Freya fixed you," Data said. "Probably with Aasha’s help, since she has the same positronic foundation as you. I guess she is also responsible for your altered appearance."

Lore theatrically rolled his eyes. "You really are boring, Data. Quite the opposite of your human." He threw one of his smiles at Geordi and Geordi’s face became hot again. "We were getting to know each other quite well while you were ... indisposed."

"You had already poisoned me. You could have deactivated me. You could have taken my place."

"That’s what he wanted," Geordi shouted over, but Lore waved dismissively.

"You should rely more on your intuition, Geordi. I’m a notorious liar." Then Lore looked back at Data with a sneering look. "Brother, you don’t really think I meant to take your place? That wouldn’t be very original. No, no, no. What I wanted," he tapped his temple, "was information. Not about the Enterprise or Starfleet. About us. About the Soong-type androids. Humans of this era will not be able to replicate our positronic brain. We must take it into our own hands, as our father would have wanted us to. As you have already done."

Data clenched his fist. "What memories have you taken, Lore?"

He shrugged. "Only the important ones. Mostly anything to do with Doctor Soong, Lal and our operations."

"You are not a cyberneticist and my knowledge alone is not enough."

"Freya has the experience we need."

"Freya knows only positronic cloning. She has never programmed a stable positronic matrix herself."

"But she’s on the right track," Lore replied. "Unlike that bungler Maddox. Imagine my surprise when I woke up six months ago and had a daughter almost three months old. Just," Lore snapped his fingers, "like that."

"You think Aasha is bungled work?"

"Her basis is bungled work. Cloning makes positronic neurons vulnerable to decay. You and I have a life expectancy of hundreds of years. If we transplant our brains into new bodies, it could be thousands. Aasha’s positronic matrix is barely more durable than the average human’s body."

"Lal lived only a few weeks. She enriched my life nonetheless." Data tilted his head and looked intensely at Lore. "Is this what you really want? A more durable positronic matrix for your daughter?"

Lore hesitated. "Transmission of consciousness is possible. Ira Graves and our father have done it."

"And again, left no records," Data replied. "I was only able to store Lal’s memories and experiences, not her personality."

Lore now slowly stepped towards him. "That’s why we must work together. These humans take our material and experiment with it, but they’re incapable. We, dear brother, we can do it."

Data was silent for a moment and Geordi could almost feel his amazement. Geordi himself could hardly believe what he heard. "You want me to join you?" Data moved a few paces away from Lore into Geordi’s direction.

"We belong together, Data, despite our shared past and bitter feelings. Me, you and Aasha, we are family. The only ones of our kind. Who, if not us, could manage to expand our species?" Lore looked over Data’s shoulder at Geordi. "If you insist, you can take your human with you. He is the only useful organic on the Enterprise. And I know how attached you are to each other." He smiled again and Geordi knew exactly what he was referring to.

Data either didn’t seem to understand or ignored it. He grabbed his phaser and pointed it at Lore. "I will free Geordi now and we will leave. Starfleet will take care of you and Freya."

"Oh, no, you don’t." Lore nodded in the direction of the phaser. "One shot can bring the entire building down, as your own calculations surely have suggested. An android could survive it. But I’m not so sure about Geordi."

Data turned to him and Geordi shook his head barely noticeable to signal that he had not been able to free himself. Then Data put the phaser away and Lore grinned, satisfied.

"I figured you wouldn’t be easy to convince. That you'd need ... a little encouragement." His aura faded. "I know that you’ve been able to feel for several months. Have you learned what solitude feels like, Data? Rejection? Guilt? Hatred?"

"I have limited access to feelings in situations that come before the emotional enhancement. On the Enterprise, there has not been a trigger for the mentioned feelings yet."

Lore nodded. "Then I’ll give you a taste." At that moment, Data’s expression changed. Geordi held his breath in horror. He’d never seen Data like that before. So much like Lore. Not even when he had been emotionally manipulated. His body became stiff, as if he needed all his strength to control his emotions. His aura was completely blanked out.

"I’ve felt this way most of my life." Lore stepped behind Data, put one hand on his shoulder and leaned his head against Data’s. His aura glowed brightly. "Geordi said that if I’d had another android to guide me at the beginning of my development, maybe things would have been different. But our father gave up too easily. And I was more human than he expected."

Data visibly resisted the alien feelings, the effort kept showing on his face, only to be covered by Lore’s twisted feelings. He gasped and shook his head as if he could get out of his head what didn’t belong to him.

"Lore, he got it!" Geordi tugged on his restraints to get up, but he still had to stand halfway bent. "You said yourself torturing wasn’t like you. Stop it. Please."

Lore looked at Geordi and his aura flickered again. Then Data’s body relaxed. Lore patted him on the back. "It was clear that a newcomer like you would be easily overwhelmed."

Lore tried to turn away from him, but Data held him by the arm. His aura was still dull, but seemed to be recovering with Data’s mind. "There is more than hate and loneliness within you. I have felt affection. For Aasha?"

Lore freed himself from Data brusquely. "For whom else?"

"Do you want to know what it would feel like to lose her? To watch her die and not be able to do anything about it?" Data’s head jerked briefly and Lore staggered. His face showed sheer horror, his eyes were wide open and he seemed to be unable to perceive his surroundings. Data’s gaze was fixed on Geordi, his aura had completely vanished again and he looked at him as if all life had drained out of him.

Lore, on the other hand, began to tremble, his emotional center seemed to be completely overwhelmed by Data’s feelings. His aura glowed brightly, only to disappear completely the next moment. He opened his mouth and a glaring, mechanical screeching escaped him. Geordi had to cover his ears, but Data remained completely motionless and kept staring at him.

"Data! Stop!" Geordi tried to drown out Lore, but doubted he could do so. Suddenly Aasha came running out of the adjoining room and threw herself against Data, shaking him and shouting something Geordi couldn’t understand.

Finally, Data’s gaze broke away from Geordi and Lore’s screeching stopped. Geordi took his hands off his ears in relief. Lore looked at Data petrified, the shaking slowly subsiding. Aasha held them both by the arm and looked from one to the other. And it was only now that Geordi realized that she, too, had been changed. She too had human skin color, and her eyes were as blue as Lore’s.

"I am sorry, Lore," Data said, sounding as horrified as Lore looked. "I got ... completely overtaken." Seeking help, Data looked at Geordi, who instinctively wanted to come to him, but again these damned chains held him back. Data definitely needed more hours with Deanna.

"This is love?" said Lore and looked from Data to Aasha. "Why is there something wrong with me if I don’t want this?"

Data blinked. "Love?"

"That’s part of it, Papa." Aasha took his hand into hers. "Just as it makes me sad that you and Data hate each other. But I still love you both."

Lore shook his head. His aura had stabilized, gently glowing, as had Aashas. "I want Data and Geordi to come with us. But I guess they’d rather turn us in. Data." Lore pushed him violently, causing Data to avert his gaze from Geordi. "What will your precious Starfleet do with two runaway androids? One being Starfleet property and the only living research subject, the other a proven criminal, a murderer even. I’m pretty sure they’ll dismantle me and remove my brain. They’ll dissect me. Do you think they’ll deal with Aasha differently?"

Geordi saw clearly that Lore wasn’t faking it. When it came to Aasha, his feelings were equal to Data’s. The auras of all three androids were now barely perceptible, as if they were synchronized.

Out of the corner of his eye Geordi recognized another figure in the door to the adjoining room. Then a phaser beam passed Data, who had been able to turn to the side to avoid it, in Geordi’s direction. He ducked under the table. Data and Lore both held their phasers in their left hand pointing at Freya, the beams already been fired. The cyberneticist broke down. Geordi heard a gasp from Aasha, then walls began to collapse.

"Get out, go, Aasha!"

Something crashed onto the table above Geordi and debris rose into the air.

"Geordi!"

"Run Aasha! Run to the shuttle!"

Above Geordi, the house was falling apart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked the family reunion - one more chapter to go :)


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter of the last episode. Will Data hand his brother in or let him run or will he go with him? Will Geordi be brave enough to tell Data how he feels and could Data understand it let alone feel it himself? You will find out.

_Second Officer’s Personal Log Lieutenant Commander Data, Stardate 48288.65_

_Geordi was buried in the old buildings of the Daystrom Institute under the debris of the second floor. Lore sent Aasha away, but stayed with me himself._

Data rushed to the debris pile under which Geordi was buried. Normally, he wouldn’t have been able to survive. To know that you needn’t be an android. But the steel table could have made a safe cave. If it had held.

In superhuman speed Data moved one chunk after the other to the side and hardly noticed what he was doing or that Lore was doing the same next to him.

"We have to hurry, Data," Lore said in a tone of voice that couldn’t even escape Data at that moment. "The ground won’t hold much longer. Especially if more comes down."

"Understood. Can you make sure that the debris does not slide into my direction?"

Lore went around the collapse site. "Difficult. There are cracks in the ground back here."

"Understood." Metal flashed through the debris. "I see the table." Lore was by his side again and together they dug out the sloping steel plate.

"The legs gave way," Lore stated.

"Only on one side." Finally, Data was able to look under the table and switched on his visor-vision. He recognized a lying person, fortunately with his head towards the still standing half of the table where Geordi was tied up. He moved.

"Data, I’m so happy you’re alright." His voice sounded pressed and breathless.

"I am an android, Geordi, I would not have minded being buried."

Geordi laughed. "I fear my organic body is more sensitive. My foot’s stuck."

"No problem." Lore grabbed the edge of the table and lifted it. Geordi made a subdued gasp of pain, which Data tried to ignore and crawled to him.

"Is only your foot damaged?" he asked and reached for the handcuffs in the tight space.

"At least only the foot hurts. I won’t be able to walk with it. There’s not one whole bone in it."

Data spared them all a comment on the fact that Geordi couldn’t know that without an examination, nodded and tore the chains with a jerk. Then he crawled out again and pulled Geordi out. Crunching could be heard close by and a muffled metallic sound could be heard as Lore set the table down.

"On my back, Geordi." Data knelt down in front of him and Geordi didn’t argue for a second. He wrapped his arms around Data’s shoulders and Data reached into the hollow of his knees to carry him.

"We have to get to the shuttle," said Lore and walked to the door, Data at his heels. Behind him he heard stone breaking and falling. "If the two floors break down, the whole house will collapse." It sounded very much like exactly that was already happening.

Data didn’t look back. He had to blindly trust Lore, even though none of his experiences gave him reason to. The next staircase led them to the basement of the building, which Data had already expected. "You have a hybrid shuttle at an anchorage in the basement."

"An involuntary anchorage, dear brother. An exterior wall in the basement collapsed years ago."

Above them the house rumbled ominously, plaster crumbled and dusted them.

"The ceiling is cracked," Geordi said. "The further we go, the stronger. That wall over there is load-bearing and unstable. If it breaks-"

"We know that, thank you," Lore pointed out.

"I must inform Bruce. Geordi, I will use your communicator."

Lore turned around and looked at him as if he wanted to argue, but chose not to.

"Geordi to Data," said Data in Geordi’s voice. "Bruce, I have located Geordi, but the building is about to collapse. Stand by, do not move until I tell you. You cannot help us here. Geordi out."

"Data, what are you up to?" Geordi wanted to know.

"Later, Geordi. Please." Data felt Geordi’s "Hm" more than he heard it. Again, Lore turned to him, but this time also didn’t say anything.

In the meantime they had crossed the whole cellar and finally saw the shuttle. Pieces broke out of the ceiling and the walls. Aasha opened the shuttle door. She seemed surprised, but mostly frightened.

"Hurry up!"

Data looked inside through the open door. "It is too small for four people."

"It’s a two-seater," Lore said impatiently "If we'd use your shuttle-"

"Impossible." There was a crash behind them and they looked around. The way back was blocked.

"The ceiling is coming down." Geordi’s voice sounded hard but calm. And Data made a decision.

"Lore, you take Geordi beyond the perimeter of the site." Data lowered him gently, but Geordi dug his fingers into his shoulders. He was pale and sweating in pain.

"Data, have you forgotten that this is the second time he took you out and kidnapped me?"

"Geordi," Data loosened his fingers and supported him. "Either you go with Lore, or you die. I cannot swim and you are not capable of it right now. There is no time to argue." Without warning, he used something he rarely used: the Vulcan neck grip. Data and Lore grabbed him at the same time and Data helped his brother put Geordi into the narrow baggage compartment of the shuttle.

The ground beneath them trembled and the rumble above them swelled. More rock crumbled from the ceiling and walls. Lore climbed into the seat next to Aasha and looked at Data once more. His usual grin was not to be seen. "Good luck. Brother." The door closed, the shuttle submerged.

Data took a step into the water and immediately sank like one of the stones that fell around him. He sank to four meters into the lowest cellar. There, he could see the hole in the wall, though only with difficulty through the swirling debris. Again and again he had to dodge or push away boulders. His sensitive bioplast hurt when a stone hit his right shoulder. Something sharp-edged ran over his back and pushed him forward hard, probably a steel beam. Data felt the cut in his bioplast and the upper layer of his artificial muscles, even though it didn’t hurt. Water penetrated his servos and it became harder to move.

Finally, Data reached the opening in the wall and climbed through. He could hear and feel the rumbling of the building behind him even in the water. However, he didn't see the shuttle, although it could not have been far away.

Data walked as close to the island as possible in the direction of the Institute’s border. The island had been badly damaged in recent years and parts had broken into the sea. There was no longer an ascent to the beach. When Data was at the right spot according to his calculations, he had to climb up the broken rock. He had barely made it to the surface when he heard the shuttle rising out of the water behind him. It landed beside him on the mainland and the door opened.

"I resent that, Data." Geordi slowly pushed himself out of the baggage area and waved Lore off, who tried to help him out.

"Duly noted." Data approached, dripping, with his shirt cut up, already slipping across his chest, and again pieces of the bioplast were missing from his right shoulder. Geordi examined him.

"Are you badly damaged?"

Data shook his head and helped him onto his back again.

"Your entire back is torn apart."

"It is alright, I am not in pain."

"As much as I enjoy watching you, we have to keep moving." Lore’s grin was back and Aasha slid her arm under her positronic father’s. "Are you sure you don’t want to come with us? Your shuttle is the right size. Taking out Bruce will be a piece of cake for three androids."

Data tilted his head to one side. "And then what?"

"Like I said, machines create machines. We are capable of creating our own offspring, even without Freya. With our combined knowledge, we can build, program and stabilize a positronic matrix from scratch. We can be the founders of a new civilization, Data. Not slave laborers as humans would have us. An autonomous civilization."

Data didn’t say anything. He hadn’t decided if he liked the idea of an android civilization. Especially when Lore was in charge. Then again, there was Aasha. And Lore’s emotional transference.

"I informed the Enterprise before we came here. I was not certain what exactly your intentions were, so I ordered them to scan for shuttles with positronic activity leaving orbit. You cannot escape unnoticed." Data’s confession had little effect on Lore, but Aasha pressed herself against him a little harder.

"You know I would rather die than be captured, turned off and used again. I will not be made into any more clones."

"I don’t want to go back to the Institute either," said Aasha. "Bruce has not yet understood how to deal with androids. Cloning is not the right way to reproduce us. Besides ... I don’t want to lose my family." She looked up at Lore, who actually smiled thinly and kissed her on the forehead.

"Their auras shine alike," Geordi whispered to Data.

Data had switched to his visor-vision and saw it, too. It was absolutely incredible and fascinating at the same time. Once again, Data made a decision. "I cannot trust you, Lore."

Lore threw his hands into the air. "What a surprise, as if I didn’t have expected this."

"But I trust Aasha." Again, Data switched to Geordi’s voice. "Geordi to Data. Bruce, we are located at the Institute's border. We would like you to join us. Geordi out." Lore and Aasha looked at him in disbelief. "Geordi, would you give Aasha your positronic communicator?"

Both androids now looked at Geordi. Without hesitation, he stretched out his right hand to Aasha, with the other he held on to Data and worked audibly to ignore the pain in his foot. "It cannot be traced like our Starfleet communicators." Still unsure, Aasha took the bangle off and put it onto her arm.

Lore shook his head, irritated. "What is your plan, Data?"

"I will explain when you are on your way and Bruce has arrived with my communicator."

***

"My goodness, what happened to you two?" Doctor Crusher was not at all pleased with the sight of her patients, who had just been beamed directly from Earth to her sickbay. "Can’t you even be sent on shore leave without at least one of you coming back injured? Geordi, let me give you something against the pain first. Data-"

"My damage is only superficial, Doctor. Please take care of Geordi. He must help me with some repairs."

She looked at him disapprovingly, but then just sighed and grabbed her tricorder.

Data sneaked away from the treatment room into Doctor Crusher’s office. There he grabbed the computer on her desk, ignoring that he was still dripping, and started typing commands faster than any human could. Then he checked the results.

"Computer, blocking access to sensors, authorization Data Alpha 3 6 Delta 9 B."

"Access to sensors blocked."

Data knew that the override wouldn’t last long. Commander Riker and the Captain could override at any time. Fortunately, only the Captain was on board at the moment. Data raised his left arm. "Data to Geordi. Go. Data out." Then he left the office and went back to the treatment room.

"What is your prognosis on Geordi’s foot, Doctor?"

"Completely smashed. I don’t even know where to start to fix it." She sighed. "I’ll have to amputate and replace it with an artificial limb."

"Positronic?" was Data’s question.

"Of course, this is the most advanced type of prosthesis."

He smiled at Geordi, who looked less pale thanks to the painkiller. He even grinned, exhausted.

"Now I’m really turning into a cyborg."

The door to sickbay opened and in came the Captain with a firm step and a hard face, Bruce Maddox at his side.

"Doctor, I would like to borrow your office."

Doctor Crusher looked up, saw the sour face of the captain and said: "Of course, you can close the door if needed."

Captain Picard nodded and made an inviting gesture looking at Data. "If you please, Mr. Data."

Dripping Data lead the way to the office he had only just left. Behind Bruce and the Captain the door closed.

"Mr. Data, I await an explanation", the Captain said.

Data looked down at himself, pretending to misunderstand.

"Obviously you are functional enough to aid in the escape of a criminal together with property of the Daystrom Institute."

Bruce looked at the Captain, slightly irritated. "I didn’t put it that way."

"But that is what it comes down to, Commander Maddox!" The Captain’s violent outburst silenced even the otherwise eloquent cyberneticist. "Mr. Data, I have reactivated the sensors and given orders to analyze any evidence of moving shuttles to transmit to Starfleet for tracking."

"There should be dozens of ships in Earth’s orbit, sir."

"Don’t you get smart-alecky, too, Data." The Captain’s movements were unnaturally stiff with anger. "For your actions I would have to initiate disciplinary proceedings. And if I don’t, Starfleet will."

"I understand, Captain."

The Captain sighed and rubbed his forehead in frustration. "If you weren’t my most trusted officer, I would remove you from my crew immediately. What were you thinking?"

"Captain, if I may," Bruce asked and Captain Picard nodded jerkily. "I take responsibility for everything that has happened in the past two days. I alone will bear the consequences."

"Explain, Commander," the Captain demanded.

"I am Head of the Departments of Cybernetics and Robotics and of the research project Artificial Life Based on Positronic Cloning. It was my responsibility to ensure that the Institute’s androids, Lore and Aasha, did not leave the premises. I also had to make sure that none of my staff worked on projects unknown to me. Especially not an employee whose mental stability had been questioned in the past. Data and Geordi were deceived, abducted and nearly killed because of my misconduct."

"It’s honorable of you to take the blame. But it doesn’t explain Data's manipulation of our sensors to help Lore and Aasha escape."

"He’s not responsible for that either," Bruce said in a calm, serious tone and Data listened attentively. "I have developed a device that transfers thoughts from one Soong-type android to another. Unfortunately, only Freya, who was buried alive, knew about it. I actually wanted to stabilize new androids with this technique and so I asked Data to try it with Aasha. Apparently, it worked better than I’d hoped. Aasha had stolen the device before she ran away."

Captain Picard flared his nostrils. He didn’t believe a word Bruce said. Even Data saw that. But it was a good story. One that could not be falsified.

"I would like to apologize officially for my behavior, Captain," Data said formally.

"Data," the Captain’s voice was as tense and quiet as a violin string just before it ripped, "your vacation is extended by two weeks. I don’t want you anywhere near the bridge or engineering. The terminal in your quarters will be isolated from the main computer. Furthermore, if you so much as graze any terminal on this ship in the next two weeks, I’ll demote you to Ensign and I’ll only let you service Jeffrey’s tubes in the future, is this understood?"

"Understood, sir."

The Captain smoothed out his uniform jacket and breathed out heavily, then nodded to Data. "Send Mr. La Forge my best wishes for his recovery." And with that he stomped out. Bruce looked at Data, who nodded at him gratefully, then he left.

Data didn’t dare breathe a sigh of relief. He left the office, sat down on a chair beside Geordi’s biobed and waited silently for Doctor Crusher to finish the treatment.

***

"How is the new foot functioning, Geordi?" Data sat on the sofa in Geordi’s quarters the next day. They hadn’t said a word to each other since the day before, except _good night_. Geordi had had a last-minute operation to remove the shattered foot and had an artificial one fitted. Afterwards he had been too exhausted to talk. And even Data felt a kind of tiredness. He had played a little with Spot after the goodbye and then retreated into his dream subroutine.

Now he watched Geordi jumping up and down for demonstrative purposes.

"The foot works fine. I also got the new Bioplast for the prosthesis, the feeling is almost like with a real foot. How does your back feel?"

"Hypersensitive." Data pulled his shoulders up. "I had not gotten used to the first transplants, now my whole upper body is covered with it."

Geordi sat down with him and put his hand on his shoulder. "Give yourself time. It takes time to get used to so many impressions, even for an android. "He stroked Data’s back and goose bumps formed on his arms. A warm tingling sensation spread across his chest and he saved the moment under _Geordi reward_.

"Do you think what we did was right?" Data asked and put his arm over the back of the sofa so that his hand was close to Geordi’s shoulder.

"Honestly, I don’t know. After all, he’s a murderer and a psychopath."

"I thought of that, too. I still wanted him to have this last chance."

"Something’s happening with Lore," Geordi thought. "I could see it in his aura. Aasha has a good effect on his emotional stability."

"Yes, I felt it when he transferred his feelings to me." Data watched as his index finger brushed along Geordi’s shoulder.

"It looked terribly painful."

"It was. For both of us. I am glad Bruce removed the Emotrans out of my system. He had implanted an older prototype. It was my only chance to make Lore realize he is not the only one suffering from his feelings."

Geordi made a consenting sound, supported his elbow on the back of the sofa and leaned his head against it. Data’s fingers floated in the air, his gaze gliding across Geordi’s face, the golden visor, the dark skin to his lips, which moved again.

"What if it happens again? What if he destroys Aasha? Kills other living beings? Builds androids that he can use as weapons or test subjects, like Hugh’s Borg?"

Data smiled. "When I transmitted my emotions to Lore, I also sent him a monitoring program that implanted itself in his homing device. Because of the intensity of my emotions, he will not have noticed."

Geordi’s eyebrows flinched upwards. "Isn’t that morally reprehensible even among androids?"

"I am with you." Data’s fingers stroked Geordi’s hand along to his arm, where no bracelet shone anymore. "However, in the short time available, I could think of no more moral solution. I could not let Lore escape without some security, in case he managed to overpower me and run. I had no intention of letting him go at that time."

Geordi’s hand detached from his head, his fingers slipped gently around Data’s. "How exactly does this program work?"

"It is Bruce’s program and can read the quality and intensity of Lore’s emotional impulses. I have programmed it to alert me when a certain maximum level is reached that I consider questionable. Through your positronic communicator I can contact Aasha, she has reprogrammed it to respond to her voice pattern, we spoke briefly yesterday. If she needs help, she can contact me. Or you, once you have built a new communicator for yourself. Bruce, after discovering the homing device in Lore and installing one in Aasha, wrote a program to activate it. It works just like Doctor Soong’s. I possess it and I can call them with it if needed. Bruce did not want to keep it himself, just in case."

"Understandable."

Data was fascinated by the fine sensations in his fingertips, a delicate tingling sensation that seemed to manifest itself.

"What will happen to him?" Geordi asked and looked up again. "To Bruce?"

Data tilted his head thoughtfully. "He will probably lose his post. Actually, that would have been my punishment. I cannot understand why he would sacrifice his career for me."

"In the end, he probably understood that as a cyberneticist he has a responsibility for his creation. And perhaps he saw more in Aasha than his research breakthrough."

"Hm." Data was only half listening, he could check the conversation again later. The moment, however, was unique. Geordi held out his index and middle finger and looked at him again. Data recognized the gesture and put his fingers on them. An intense impulse passed through his body and he saved the moment under _Geordi reward_.

"You know what that means." Geordi’s voice sounded a little surprised, but above all loving.

Data smiled. "Yes, Geordi. The same as the positronic communicators mean without me noticing. I finally understand something essential. About a feeling I have shifted to a category I still have to rename. That is so intense that it can intensify all other feelings. And which is connected exclusively to you. It is absolutely incomprehensible to me, however, how I could not have recognized it myself for so long, while other feelings that have arisen in the last few months-"

"Data," Geordi was smiling, "you’re babbling."

Data went over what he had said in his mind. "You are right. I apologize." Out of an impulse - perhaps his first purely emotional act - Data took Geordi’s fingers in his, brought them to his lips and kissed them. The fingers that had repaired and diagnosed him infinite times. The first to press his shoulder or pat his back. The fingers that had caressed and embraced him with affection.

He felt Geordi’s gaze on him through the visor and he pulled Data gently towards him. "I’m gonna kiss you now, Data. The human way, not the Vulcan one." And Data let himself be drawn in.

The first kisses were carefully testing and chaste. He felt Geordi’s heartbeat under his fingers as he put his hand on his neck and suddenly perceived his unmistakable smell so much more intensely. The sensitive bioplast on Data’s lips tingled excitingly and he opened his mouth a little. Geordi’s sigh vibrated in his mouth and he felt a subroutine kick in in his background processes. When he recognized it and also calculated that Geordi needed oxygen, he slowly ended the intimate moment.

Data renamed the category _Geordi Reward_ to _Geordi Love_ with the meta-information _Romantic Love, First Love_ and _Being in Love_ and stored the shared moment in it. His entire system hummed softly in the impulse he received this time. They exchanged a few short kisses while Geordi slowly recovered his breath. Geordi leaned his forehead against his and sighed.

"I love you."

"I reciprocate as best I can." The humming in Data’s body continued and he stroked Geordi’s neck.

Geordi laughed softly. "A human would say _I love you, too_. But I like your version better."

"Why?"

"It’s just so like you."

They were sitting in a pleasant silence, both didn’t seem to want to destroy the moment by further talking. Data was too fascinated by their development and his emotional potential. He was actually capable of love. Not just friendship or family, but romance. And his chosen partner shared those same feelings.

Geordi had been Data’s special person on board the Enterprise from the beginning. The one who had first treated him like anyone else, who had become his first friend, whom he had entrusted with his innermost being - mechanically, as well as positronically and personally. It would be a long road of exploration and development before Data would understand his feelings in general and love in particular. And even humanoids often seemed unable to do so when Data looked at the corresponding database.

"Geordi, this might become the longest voyage and the strangest mission a human has ever undertaken."

Geordi laughed softly. "Our final frontier, so to speak? Data, with you I will boldly explore what no human has explored before."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I myself didn't know how this would end until I wrote it. So it kind of surprised me while writing, what direction the story took for Data and Lore. I had also thought of killing Lore or Aasha in order to sacrifice themselfes for the other or Data. Or to fake their deaths so they could live in peace. But in the end, this feels right. And, yes, I know the last lines are quite cheesy, but I couldn't help it 😅
> 
> I hope you liked the journey of our two favorite boys. If so I'd be happy to read from you in a comment 🥰  
> I'm not sure if I will write anything longer with these two anytime soon. But I have a few ideas for shorter stories. So you will find new content in my other series "The DaForge Short Treks".


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